Sacramento County Votes to Adopt HERO PACE Program to Conserve Energy and Water

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The County of Sacramento has voted to make the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program available to local residents.

HERO makes energy- and water- saving renovations affordable for property owners by providing long-term, competitive financing through an additional property tax assessment. Payments are made through the property tax bill over up to 20 years, and interest is tax-deductible. Residents of the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County may begin submitting applications for HERO financing in summer 2015.

Sacramento County joins two other local communities in adopting HERO: Citrus Heights launched HERO in March 2014 and Rancho Cordova launched the program in November 2014. The City of Sacramento is scheduled to vote on making HERO available to residents in the coming weeks. Participation in HERO is 100-percent voluntary for both local government agencies and property owners, and is cost neutral for jurisdictions.  In addition to helping homeowners save on energy and water bills, HERO creates local job by increasing demand for contractor services.

"We've seen a real growth in homeowners looking to install high-efficiency systems in the region. If these trends continue and residents have access to HERO financing, I expect to be hiring additional technicians to keep up with demand," said Kenny Bell , co-owner of  Bell Brothers Heating & Air.

The HERO Program has helped to create more than 4,300 jobs in California since its launch in December 2011. The program has been adopted by 246 communities in California and helped to fund more than 26,500 residential projects, totaling more than $495 million in financing.  HERO is now available to more than 51% of California households.

A wide variety of efficiency products are available to property owners through the HERO Program. Some of HERO's most popular products include water-saving technologies, solar power panel installations, whole-home heating and cooling (HVAC) systems, energy-saving windows and doors, roofing and insulation.

HERO also has more than 50 product lines to help homeowners save water during this extended drought, including high-efficiency toilets, faucets and showerheads; drip irrigation systems; rainwater catchment systems; gray water systems; as well as artificial turf and drought-tolerant landscaping. 

A growing number of California cities and counties are partnering with multiple PACE providers to increase financing choices available to consumers. In Sacramento County, the Board of Supervisors has added HERO to the PACE options available to county residents in order to increase opportunities for homeowners interested in making energy- and water-saving investments. Uptake of PACE financing appears to increase in communities where more than one PACE financing option is available to property owners.

"HERO will make it easy and affordable for local homeowners to save money by using water and energy more efficiently," said Blair McNeill, Vice President of Community Development for Renovate America, the company that administers the HERO Program. "When more homeowners invest in these types of improvements, it creates jobs and stimulates the local economy. HERO is committed to helping cities and counties reach their energy and water reduction targets by bringing these types of investments into reach for most property owners."

The HERO Program has received the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, the Urban Land Institute Best of the Best, and the Southern California Association of Governments President's Award for Excellence. Most recently the program received the 2014 Clean Air Award from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Clean Tech OC's Van Vlahakis' Environmental Excellence Award. 

For more information please visit www.HeroProgram.com.

SOURCE The HERO Program

Related Links

http://www.HeroProgram.com